new economy

　　

A cement plant contracted by a Chinese company recently held an ignition ceremony in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Ethiopian Prime Minister Haier Mariam attended the ceremony and praised the Chinese company for its contribution to increasing the production capacity of Ethiopian cement.

Infrastructure cooperation is in the ascendant

    The Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2015 ushered in a new era of win-win cooperation and common development between China and Africa. Guided by the summit and taking the “Belt and Road” initiative as an opportunity, China strongly supports Africa's infrastructure construction. A series of major China-Africa infrastructure cooperation projects have been launched one after another, and some projects have blossomed.

 　 In Kenya, the Mombasa, the largest port in East Africa, and the capital Nairobi, with a total length of about 480 kilometers, the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway is expected to open to traffic in June. This project is the largest infrastructure project built in Kenya in more than half a century and was undertaken by a Chinese company.

 　 Atanas Maina, general manager of the Kenya Railway Company, believes that the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway will promote the development of many industries in Kenya, including agriculture, mining, manufacturing, energy, and tourism. The project will also promote the formation of cities and towns along the route and create employment, which will bring higher incomes to workers, with multiple benefits.

 In October last year, Africa’s first full-line transnational modern electrified railway built with Chinese railway technical standards and Chinese equipment was opened to traffic, reducing the transportation time from Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, to Djibouti from the original road transportation of 3 days. To 10 hours, greatly reduce the logistics costs of the two countries and promote the industrialization process of the two countries.

 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said when attending the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Bonn, Germany in February this year that China’s aid and financing of railways and roads for African countries have exceeded 5,000 kilometers, and more than 160,000 talents have been trained for Africa. .

China and Africa join hands for mutual benefit and win-win

 　 Strengthening unity and cooperation with African countries is China's long-term and firm strategic choice. China upholds the principles of true, cordial and sincere policies towards Africa, and supports Africa in achieving lasting peace and sustainable development. Driven by the "Belt and Road" initiative, China has actively participated in African infrastructure construction and won positive comments from Africans.

 Rob Hersoff, the founder of the business information agency Investing Africa, believes that many investors who are optimistic about Africa are actually not very sticky to Africa, and many investment transactions have not brought benefits to the locals. China is not the same. . "One of the best examples is the capital light rail that China built for Ethiopia. It has changed the lives of local people and injected strong impetus into the country's economy."

 　 He said that few countries in the world are willing to invest in such large-scale projects in Africa, but China has proved to the world that such projects can be realized in Africa. He believes that sub-Saharan Africa, such as power and infrastructure industries, will usher in vigorous development in the future.

 　 Djibouti, a small country in the Horn of Africa, is one of the least developed countries in the world. Its domestic natural resources are poor and its industrial and agricultural foundations are weak. In order to develop the economy and increase employment, the country has initiated a large number of investment projects. The IMF report shows that China has become the largest source of funds to support Kyrgyzstan's infrastructure projects.

 　 As the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe in West Africa, who has just concluded his official visit to China, said: “African-Chinese relations are sincere and sincere and equal, and they are a partnership that seeks a win-win situation.”

Africa's development needs China

 　 At present, it has become the consensus of the African continent to accelerate the development of infrastructure in the fields of energy, transportation, and information and communications to achieve economic growth and transformation, but insufficient financing is a huge challenge.

 The African Urban Development Report released by the World Bank in February pointed out that infrastructure investment and land market reform are the keys to accelerating economic growth in African cities, increasing employment opportunities, and improving urban competitiveness. African countries should increase infrastructure investment and land market reforms. .

 　 The report shows that the population of African cities has reached 472 million people and will add 187 million people by 2025. However, the current industrial and commercial infrastructure of African cities has not kept up with the urban population growth. This also means that Africa has huge investment potential in infrastructure, housing and commerce. If fully invested in these areas, it will not only enhance the vitality of the urban economy, but also create jobs for more urban populations.

 　 Lema Sembeth, head of the African Economic Research Union, said that China is Africa's largest trading partner and has surpassed other allies of African countries to become the continent's main source of foreign direct investment. China-Africa cooperation has brought tremendous changes to Africa in terms of trade, investment and infrastructure.

 　 He highly appreciates the modern infrastructure projects that China has invested in Africa, and believes that this will promote trade and foreign investment in Africa, thereby driving economic growth.

 　 Sembeth believes that the “Belt and Road” initiative will bring great benefits to African countries. The China-Africa partnership is based on mutual respect and the pursuit of common dreams. African countries should actively turn their attention to China in terms of economic diversification, regional integration, and political system construction.